New Deals For Wingers But Not Benni?

There is news emanating from Blackburn Rovers FC that the club is to offer new contracts to Morton Gamst Pedersen and David Bentley whilst an interesting snippet of information has eeked out regarding Benni McCarthy's current contract.

The Daily Mail Online has reported that the club are to offer new, improved contracts to the clubs outstanding performers over the last 2 seasons in an effort to keep them at Rovers for the foreseeable future.

The concerning point raised by the article comes with regard to McCarthy and his 'reluctance' to sign a new contract as he still hopes, apparently, to join a Champions League team, whether it be this season or next.

The worrying aspect reported about his contract is, if it indeed accurate, that if a new deal is not brokered and agreed before the end of the season, McCarthy can leave for an agreed fee of £5 million.

Whilst the club and most Rovers fans, even in their wildest dreams, could not have imagined the scale of the impact that Benni would have had on the Premiership last season, it seems that if this is true, we are, once again, set to lose our most potent attacking threat and more frustratingly, for what seems, in retrospect, a bargain fee.

To put it into perspective, Marlon Harewood, with all his European and International experience and lethal scoring boots (/sarcasm) left West Ham for pastures new in the Midlands for the same princely sum that McCarthy could hypothetically leave for next season.

All in all, we need Benni to sign a new contract, even if it stretches the wage budget a little if for no other reason than Rovers are allowed to remove this ridiculous clause and receive a fair market value for his, should he indeed decide to relocate next summer, although signing a new contract AND actually honouring it would be even better

Rovers helped Benni out with his 'dream move' it seems only fair that he reciprocates.

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I can understand that, at the negotiating stage that there are compromises to be made with big name targets as we are not the most fashionable club but seriously?? again?? I really hoped that Rovers had learned their lesson with Bellamy but it seems that the only way we get these star players is to allow these types of clauses to be placed into their contracts. It makes me wonder what Roque Santa Cruz has in his?????

If Bents and MGP can be offered further improved contracts, so long as NO clauses are included Rovers HAVE to go for it, if for nothing else but to strengthen the clubs positions regarding where they stand if/when others come in for them in the future. Providing no clause is in place Rovers WILL be the dominant force, and THEY will dictate who goes and for how much.
I'm still not that sure about ANY clauses in Benni's contract, the club KEEP saying there aren't any, so you have to believe them don't you. However, a contract that kicks in when his final year approaches seems a little more realistic?!!? If true, then you are right dude SOMETHING has to be done to get around this.
GREAT article by the way dude :)

It is almost defeat the object isn't it by putting these clauses in place, they NEVER benefit the team putting them in place do they, and in order to avoid them kicking in something really great has to be achieved by the club doesn't it!!! I'm not saying this isn't possible, but this will NEVER help Rovers in the long run if it keeps happening will it?!?!

In all honesty mate, if I was sparky and i knew we had a shot at Cruz plus we got offered a decent price for mccarthy (10 mill plus) then i think i may have pulled the trigger on it. We couldve bought Nugent and had change or im sure that Sparky has his eyes on numerous targets around the globe, most recently linked was Eddie Johnson for example. The only positive to come out of this, if indeed it is true is that Benni knows he has to have a decent season at least. With regard to your opinion that you are surprised that this may be true, didnt the club and Bellamy deny the existance of a clause in his contract??? The Defence rests, m'lord

Lads... it's not all about Rovers going the distance... offering more money etc. Players like Benni know that they are at an unfashionable club albeit one with history. The right deal as to be negotiated - Sparky knows this and he as already said that he prefers the lack of this type of clause in a contract. but like Judas Neill showed it doesn;t matter, if they want to move on they will do... he's what I hope happens... Chico comes in and takes the Prem by storm and replaces Benni as Top Dog.... Benni gets his "dream" move to Chelski for 5 mill and then struggles to get in the first team and fades into the distance. I no longer have any sentiment on this matter and that's why players like Matty Derbyshire will always be more of a favourite to fans... Having said that let's see how Benni performs this season.

Great news on Bents and MGP but Benni wont tie himself down to Rovers as as ExER says, he wants his move to Chelsea and if he doesn't get it, then he will look for a move to a Champs League Club. Its a shame but players do have ambition, but the grass isn't always greener on the other side!

Benni, i really hope this isn't true all been looking forward to the season but again could lose our best striker!!! I don't know if this is true and why would Blackburn release this information only Benni would mention it. Really hope he doesn't leave. Come on Benni stay!!! Well done to Bentley and Gamst but they do seem to be signing new contracts every year, so maybe they are demanding more money.

Sorry to see another 'get out' clause mentioned, again at such a low fee. Surely £10m should be the break point these days for top class players. The other thing I can't understand is why the £5m or £6m in these clauses is not just the starting point and several clubs come in with higher bids, forcing the Liverpools and Chelseas to pay a more realistic price. Surely someone 'wheeler dealing' on behalf of Blackburn could 'arrange' that. I am worried that Bently and Gamst will have these clauses in their contracts.

At the same time though guys think of it this way, Benni will be what 31 at least by the time next summer gets here, most would have accepted him leaving two thirds into his contract wouldn't they, so to have get at least £5 million for a player who wouldn't be getting any younger (that would also see a profit made on what was paid) wouldn't be as bad as it could have been would it?!?!

Hang on, hang on. There are a few different papers reporting this. Now i'll not get into libel territory, but the only one that says it is to remove a clause is the mail - The same one that insisted that he was desperate to go to Chelsea, and mentioned a clause in the first place. All other papers have stayed away from that angle altogether.

EEW- I threw that name in as an example mate, not as a feasible target, i could have easily used Marlon Harewood but that might have scared you even more! HRH-I cant comment on the validity, as I have mentioned in the report that it was reported by the mail and again, could be something of nothing, but given our recent history regarding clauses, it would not surprise me. At the end of the day, as EEW says about sentiment, i agree and couldnt really care less where benni goes, if he does go, all i am concerned with is that the club are financially rewarded for their efforts in getting benni here in the first place and allowing him to have the impact he has had with the quality around him. Me personally, I would want to stay and help Rovers step up that ladder into the top tier; the chosen 4 that get CL footy every year, surely that would be far more rewarding than getting 70k a week at chelsea whilst pullin splinters outta yer arse? Maybe thats me and thats ehy i am not a pro footballer, well that an the lack of talent and fitness maybe too hehe!

and also, the daily mail has been behind the most OUTRAGEOUS footy gossip this summer, definately take this with a pinch of salt! It would be so interesting if contract info was made available to fans..

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